Prentis was elected at a meeting of the TUC’s governing body – the General Council – and takes over from Alison Shepherd.

Prentis was was first elected to lead Unison in 2000, and was re-elected in spring 2005. The union represents 1.4 million members in the public sector and in private companies providing public services,

“Top of my agenda will be continuing to expose the plight of the thousands of vulnerable workers whose experience of work in the UK is often one of poverty wages, excessive hours and shocking ill-treatment,” Prentis said.

“I plan to use the next 12 months to get the government to act against these rogue bosses and to encourage employers to take their responsibilities to their staff seriously.”